A vision of how the University of Lincoln's main Brayford Pool Campus might look ten years from now has been approved.

The University submitted an outline planning application to the City of Lincoln Council setting out its campus masterplan – a blueprint for potential development over the next decade. The application was approved by the Council's Planning Committee at its meeting on 27th March 2013.

The designs include outlines of new academic buildings, office space and student accommodation. They also show how the campus could accommodate more cafes, restaurants, shops and even a hotel. There are proposals for a multi-storey car park, near to the existing Enterprise building off Ropewalk, which would replace the existing staff car park.

The first development detailed in the report is already underway: construction of a new building for the School of Art and Design started this summer and will open by September 2013. This building, which received full planning permission in spring 2012, is located next to the existing Architecture building.

Other exciting proposals include plans to dramatically expand the University’s award-winning Great Central Warehouse Library.

The current library, which opened in 2005 on the site of a derelict Victorian goods and grain warehouse and has won a number of regeneration awards, has around 5,000 square metres of floorspace. The proposed extension would see it double in size, to around 10,000 sq. m. (subject to planning permission).

Professor Ieuan Owen, Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Lincoln, said: “The University has undergone extraordinary growth over the last decade, both in our facilities and in our standing among UK institutions of higher education. “We’re now recognised as one of the most vibrant and innovative universities in the country, and this masterplan document is an important component in our strategy to continue this upward trajectory.”

The first building on the Brayford Pool Campus was opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 1996. Lincoln was the first new city centre campus to be built in the UK for decades. Since then new buildings such as the Great Central Warehouse Library, Engine Shed, Engineering Hub and Business and Law Faculty have been created. Some have been new constructions, while others have been sympathetic conversions of existing buildings, winning various regeneration awards.

The latest masterplan for the Brayford Pool Campus sets out the potential for new development on the campus, in terms of what may be needed and where it could be accommodated. In total, around 100,000 sq. m. of additional floor space could in theory be created on the campus, if every aspect of the masterplan went ahead.

John Plumridge, the University’s Director of Estates, said: “With new academic buildings, we can continue to advance our teaching and research, and additional office space will enable us to house spin-out businesses and enhance our collaboration with existing companies.“New accommodation, shops, cafes and restaurants would all add to the great experience we already offer our students. They would also complement the mix of amenities which residents and tourists can choose from in the Brayford Pool area.”

The masterplan document has been developed by architects and urban planners, Allies & Morrison, and builds on earlier masterplanning work undertaken by Rick Mather Architects and the Brayford Trust.

A key intention of the masterplan is to improve integration of the campus with the city centre, both for pedestrians and cyclists. It also aims to develop the important relationship between the campus and the wider Brayford Pool area.

Surveys have been carried out to ensure cathedral views are preserved, wildlife is protected and traffic is not adversely affected. These documents have been submitted alongside the application and masterplan.